Similarly to the other packages in the LibreOffice suite, Base is supported across multiple platforms including Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux. Base is recognized for its cross-platform compatibility relative to Microsoft Access, which is developed exclusively for Windows.[5]

Contents

LibreOffice Base is designed to allow users to easily create, access, modify, and view databases and their data. This is done by providing users with a graphical user interface that allows users to work with four main tools: Tables, queries, forms, and reports.[6][7] Base includes software wizards to assist users with various aspects of the program.[8][9]

Creating Table in Libreoffice Base

Base is able to work with both embedded and external database files. Embedded databases are stored as a single file using C++ based Firebird and Java-based HSQLDB as its storage engine. When connecting to external databases, Base acts as a graphical user interface front-end to facilitate interactions with various database systems, including Microsoft Access databases (JET), ODBC/JDBC data sources, MySQL, MariaDB, and PostgreSQL.[7]

Base has been described as an unusual project in the niche of database management system software, which tends toward proprietary software designed for enterprise users.[6] Proprietary database management software costs have been described as a reason for the use of Base in small businesses.[10]

Work is ongoing to transition the embedded storage engine from HSQLDB to the Firebird SQL back-end. Firebird has been included in LibreOffice as an experimental option since LibreOffice 4.2[11][12].

The Document Foundation has announced that as of LibreOffice version 6.1, if the experimental mode is used, the embedded Firebird engine support is fully available, and the old HSQLDB engine is depreciated—although still available—and replaced by Firebird as the default option.[13][14]